Reviews by mattmaples:

This imperial IPA from Mikkeller and Struise pours a bright amber orange color. The head is light beige, massive, gooey, and just might be permanent. The aroma is of orange, apple and spice. The flavor is both sweet and bitter. The hop profile is fruity and earthy and has quite a bitterness to it but not as big as the 130 IBUs claim. The sweetness comes from the candy sugar, and the toasty and caramel malts. The yeast and added spices provides an underlying fruit and peppery tone that is pervasive from start to finish. The brew starts juicy sweet, goes to hop bitter then finishes dry. It is very well put together and the best Danish Imperial IPA I have ever had :-)

More User Reviews:

I passed on this beer a few times in the past but now that its local I decided to pick one up,Iam glad I did.Poured into a small tulip glass a hazy amber/brown with a huge blooming off white head,it flowed over the glass even at a gentle pour.Wow the aromas I gotta say were pretty much flawless in my opinion,a decedant mix of dark candied fruit,juicy fruit malt notes,and some resiny hop,just a perfect melding of diffrerent components.Flavors are complex and flavorful with a nice mix of dark candided fruit and resiny pine hop,the alcohol comes off in a bit of sweetness but for the most part does not rear its head.A very nice complex mix of Belgian and American beer traits,well done.

The aroma is slightly insane. Belgian yeast character, with fruity hops and spices. I'm having a tough time describing it, but it's definately original.

Taste is equally complex; mint, bitter orange, grapefruit, I could see ginger in there as well, with a hint of funk in the finish. Nice carbonation and smooth body fit very nicely with the flavors. I feel like i'm drinking it quickly but my glass is still full.

There are a lot of American versions of this style that are half the price, but they brought something new to the table with this, and it'll make you think.

The bottle pours into my tulip glass a somewhat hazy amber with orange highlights. A big, frothy creamy head rises with the pour and lingers, leaving sticky lacing trails across the side of the glass. Aromas start with a good mix of citric, herbal and earthy hops. There's a nice caramel, somewhat bready malt underneath. Spiciness comes across in the nose and works well with the sweet tinge. Quite fruity as well. An interesting take on the style.

First sip brings a sweet caramel malt upfront followed by a fruitiness. The hops roll in with citric, herbal and earthy tones intermingling. As it flows down a spicy quality emerges along with yeasty tones that's quickly followed up by a solid blast of bitterness that cuts through the sweetness of the brew. The brew finishes with linger hops atop a mix of sugar and spice. Tasty.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice creaminess about it and solid moving carbonation. Goes down rather easily for a 9% brew and lends itself to being quite drinkable. The sweetness does a good job of counterbalancing the bitterness. Overall, I can't say I've had a Imperial IPA from Denmark or Belgium before, but this one hits the spot and is a tasty rendition!

After pouring this beverage into my specially designed Dogfish IPA glass, I'm looking at 3/8 glass of copper-toned beer and 5/8 glass of foam that would make Mr. Bubble envious. The head is so unbelievably thick. This was a new arrival days ago at my local spot, and I've done nothing other than put it in the fridge. It comes from a long way away, but I don't understand this head. As it settles and I add a BIT more of the liquid from the 11.2oz bottle, the head foams to beyond the rim of the glass; fortunately, it's so thick and bubbly that it doesn't even spill as it continues to sit higher than the top of the glass. The head looks like foamy shaving cream, but the beer underneath it looks pretty good.

I have some difficulty smelling the beer because there's so much gosh durn head. Directly smelling the bottle offers that candied sugar odor, reminiscent of cotton candy. This is a sweet-smelling IPA, and I notice the label says "Belgian Beer." I suppose that's more origin than style.... Unfortunately, I don't smell the grapefruit or any other hop characteristic. I smell candied sugar.

The taste is certainly unique: the initial effect is a pleasant sweetness--not nearly as overpowering as the smell suggests. The aftertaste, however, is like a rubbing alcohol. It's not like a nice kick from a powerful alcoholic beverage, but a medicinal edge that makes me react like a kid: I don't want any more medicine.

I want to credit the mild sweetness. Based on the smell, that's where I really know the hop presence exists--if it weren't for considerable hops, this would be liquid cotton candy. I can't detect what spices are present. There's something in here that really tastes like a medicine. It's like a root. I want to make a guess, so I'll guess ginseng. Yep, there's ginseng root in this here beer.

As a pour the last sip of this beverage into my glass, I'm again impressed by the foamy, creamy-thick head. It's like frothed milk on a cappuccino. When judging drinkability, there's agreement that it's vaguely how much you appreciate the overall drinking experience. When the foamy head is the most oddly impressive thing about a beer, what does that say?

11.2 oz bottle pours into a tulip a hazy peach amber body with a sturdy ecru head. Good retention and curtains of sheet lacing.

Aroma is spicy, fruity, yeasty, and malty. Lots going on here. Fruitiness is citrusy, with orange and pink grapefruit notes. Maltiness provides raisins and molasses hints. Yeastiness has some funk and the spices are smooth but hard to identify.

Mouthfeel is medium full with a satiny medium carbonation.

Taste is complex but well balanced. Hops have a bitter citrus edge tamed quite well by the Belgian candy sugars. Orange and pink grapefruit notes are enchanting from start to finish. Caramel coated raisins lend a malty balance. Slight yeasty Belgian funk adds complexity. Spices are subtle and smooth but I can't really identify them. Finishes clean and slightly bitter with citrus rind.

I didn't think I would like this. My previous experience with Belgian IPAs has been a mixed bag. This one is quite good, unique to be sure and highly drinkable.

The beer pours a dark orange-amber color with a huge white head. The aroma is a very odd mix of flavors I didn't expect in the beer: Butter, toffee, cream, cherry and caramel. The flavor is equally odd. I get notes of butter, vanilla and some cherry. There is very little bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Not sure if this was an older bottle or if it was just a slight problem with the beer, but this was disappointing. It actually tasted pretty good, but there was really nothing that made me think the beer was a Double IPA.

Ehh. Mouthfeel is nice, lots of sharp carbonation. However the taste is not an IIPA, it's a bit bitter sure but it's got some really funky belgian flavors here that are really throwing it off. It almost has a urine after taste to it. borderline drain pour, don't seek this out. Skip it and get a bashah.

Poured from odd sized 11.2oz bottle into standard pint glass. Beer pours a dark translucent orange similar to many other DIPAs. One finger head that has great staying power. Lots of sediment, I didn't realize this was a bottle conditioned ale. Moderate to solid lacing. Smell was an intense grapefruit, slight darker malt scent, Slight belgian yeast. Very interesting flavor profile. Grapefruit, sour apples, solid malt body, candy sugars. A slight belgian yeast profile, Oranges, a hop bitterness in the finish that lingers long after the last sip mildly hot alcohol. Mouthfeel was very satisfying. Drinkablity is slightly marked down due in part to high alcohol content. This is a very interesting beer from a pair of very well respected brewers and definitely worth a try.

A 330ml bottle with no clear BB date. It is a 2011 vintage, with a Lot no. of 61/43/2011/THT-ACDPA 25/1/17. No idea what all that means! Picked up the other day from my local beer specialist - they've just got some Struise brews in for the first time. Also, the label makes no mention of Mikkeller - the only similarity is the background stripes that appear on some Mikkeller bottles. I guess Struise feel that they own the recipe to this collaboration brew.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. A deep, hazy reddish-amber hue with excellent carbonation. Yields a vast head of dense white foam with fantastic stability - resembles a big, creamy meringue. This slowly relaxes to a surface layer. A complex aroma of sweet malt, aromatic hops and alcohol. Notes of sugar, pine, fruity yeast, phenols and a hot boozy whiff in the background, all of which is underscored by a subtle, funky sourness.

Tastes of rich, sweet malt and bitter pine, with an astringent, alcoholic finish. Notes of caramel malt, sugar, pine resin, fruity yeast, phenols and booze. A faint vinegary sourness pervades and taints the flavour. Considerable bitterness upon swallowing, although it doesn't seem as hoppy as it should be. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with good body. Quite dry and pretty astringent. Aftertaste of sour, boozy pine with hints of fruity yeast.

A giant boozy mess! What a beer - it feels like it tries too hard. Tons of malt, sugar and alcohol. The hops are certainly there - yet it's hard to tell if my experience is what the brewer intended. Notes of aromatic pine and piny bitterness are present, but neither the aroma nor flavour are as intense as the label leads you to expect. Less hoppy than other double IPAs that I've tried, but perhaps it's a bit old and the hops have faded. The sourness is also hard to pin down - is it the result of infection (my first thought), or merely the way this yeast strain goes to work? Perhaps slight oxidation? At any rate, this is an impressive but flawed attempt at a double IPA. The flavour simply isn't clean or hoppy enough to compare with similar beers - the lesson is not to brew US-style double IPAs with Belgian yeast strains. Worth trying, but I won't fork out for this again.

Picked this up at Binny's in Orland Park, Il and was happy to find one. Poured into my GI tulip.

A -A hazy golden amber color. See a tiny amount of carbonation bubbling up through this one. Even on a rather pour this had a giant head that is big creamy, composed of tons of little bubbles and has a slight golden tint to the whiteness of the head.

S - hints of candied grapefruit and lemon wafts up; also a hint of alcohol as well. Also a bit bready and yeast come up as well. There is also a nice hint of alcohol that comes up as well and cuts through some sweetness.

T - the First taste is really a fresh orange to it, also has a hint of a candied date that I sometimes find in the Belgian Dark Ales. Can definitely taste the sugar in there as well as it adds a nice sweetness to it. The aftertaste is a nice lemon tartness that sits on the tongue. Really no bitterness or alcohol taste at all. Very balanced as throughout you get a nice hint of Belgian sweetness, and yeasty that sits nicely next to the hops that just barely come through. The more I drink this the more its Belgian characteristics come though and reminds me a bit like a Belgian Pale Ale or a Tripel with a bigger hop profile.

MF - Oh this is very nice smoothness to it and even a bit of milkiness. There is a slight puckering that occurs due to the tart hop flavor but it is superb in the mouth.

D - For a 9% ABV DIPA, this is super drinkable. It is sweet, balanced, hoppy and nothing is at all overpowering. Really the only thing limiting its drinkability is its availability. These are two brewers that need to collaborate some more because when they do it is very nice.

Pours a cloudy gold/copper color with a two-finger light tan head. The head slowly dissipates until settling into a thin pancake on top leaving light lacing.

Smells of sugar coated fruits - mostly citrus but with hints of pears and bananas. The candi sugar takes the bite out of the citrus. There's definitely some bitterness, but it's balanced nicely by the candi sugar and fruits.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a good thickness with soft carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I drank one bottle with no problem, but I'm not sure about another.

Overall this was an interesting beer - I feel like this is something a bored homebrewer would come up with. Strange as it is it's worth a shot.

(Served in a tulip glass) A- This beer pours a clear deep pecan color body with a sea of boiling micro-bubbles and a thick moussey head of tan that mushrooms above the glass. S- This beer has a candy caramel malt aroma with a light fruity green hop note and a slight buttery nose in the finish. T- This beer has a slightly sweet fruity candy sugar taste with a pine hop flavor leading to an alcohol note in the finish. The fruity grapefruit pith note lingers a bit after each sip that has an almost cinnamon zip to it. M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with an alcohol heat that grows with each sip but is not really fusel in nature. D- This beer is a nice barleywine with some caramel malt notes with a big alcohol but sadly not much support from the hops.

Poured a dark golden reddish amber with a fairly large light mocha head that didnt falter.Now, I was expecting the world of bitterness at 216 IBUs!!But, it was evenly balanced between hops, yeast, barley and a bit of sweetness.I did not get the typical grapefruit citrus overtones I normally get from IPAsThe mouthfull was enormous, it filled the entire mouth and stayed like that for a while.The aftertaste wasnt as bigA bit pricy ($9.99) form a 11.2 oz beer, but still just another one to taste and enjoy